In today’s Dub Hub:
- Kristaps Porziņģis says he looks forward to playing alongside Stephen Curry once he returns from a knee injury.
- Moses Moody spotted with a brace on his right wrist during the Warriors’ Thursday practice.
- Bam Adebayo addresses critics who called his 83-point performance “unethical.”
The Golden State Warriors are still waiting to see what they look like at full strength, but Kristaps Porziņģis already knows that one pairing in particular could change the team completely: sharing the floor with Stephen Curry.
Following Golden State’s 130-124 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night, Porziņģis expressed how he is looking forward to eventually playing alongside the team’s franchise star.
Curry has now missed 15 games due to runner’s knee and is on track to miss at least 10 more days, which could mean another five-to-six game absence. The Warriors have gone 5–10 during that stretch, with Curry’s injury playing a major role in the team slipping to the ninth seed in the Western Conference standings.
Despite the slide, it remains unlikely that the Warriors fall out of the play-in entirely. The Memphis Grizzlies, who currently hold the 11th seed in the West, are nine games behind Golden State with just 17 games remaining in the regular season.
That’s what makes Porziņģis’ comments feel encouraging. Even as the losses have piled up, there is still reason to believe the Warriors have another level they can reach just in time for the postseason. Much of that hinges on the team finally getting healthy, but if that happens, a Curry–Porziņģis pairing — along with the added depth from the rest of the roster — could give Golden State a rare combination of elite spacing, defense, and size that they haven’t had in recent seasons.
For more on this and other news around the NBA, here is our latest news round-up for Friday, March 13th:
Warriors News:
Steve Kerr: No conversation of drop-dead date for shutting Steph Curry down for season | The Athletic
The Warriors said Wednesday that Curry, who hasn’t played since Jan. 30 because of a lingering runner’s knee injury, was making “good progress” in his rehab, but would be out for at least another 10 days before being re-evaluated again. Curry, who turns 38 Saturday, has missed the last 15 games and is now on track to miss at least six more.
Kerr sounded hopeful Thursday that Curry was putting together solid workouts in his rehab process, but it remains unclear when, or if, Curry will play again this season. Kerr said Curry has only done individual on-court workouts with VP of player health and performance Rick Celebrini and assistant coach Bruce Fraser, and has yet to do work with the team.
“He did get on the court today, which is good,” Kerr said.
Kurtenbach: This Warriors season looks irredeemable. Why not embrace it? | The Mercury News
There’s plenty to glean from this final month of basketball. But without Curry in the lineup, absolutely nothing is truly applicable to this season. It’s a sunk cost. The organization’s entire focus should be squarely on setting the table for the next one.
And wouldn’t a nice, shiny, early draft pick help soothe the sting?
I’m being told this upcoming draft is arguably the most loaded in years. I’ll take those folks’ word for it. But adding premium, young talent (and in that 8-to-12 range, there will be some exceptional prospects) is the only way to insulate against that grim, post-Curry future we’ve been getting an early, unwanted glimpse of lately.
And the idea of pride being in the way is absurd. What pride could possibly be left to save after Tuesday?
Moses Moody shooting left-handed during practice as he nurses a right wrist injury
NBA News:
Gilgeous-Alexander eclipses Wilt for NBA’s longest 20-point streak | ESPN
“We’ve won throughout the streak, most importantly,” said Gilgeous-Alexander, who finished with 35 points and nine assists in the Thunder’s 104-102 win. “I just had so much fun playing the last year and a half, probably because I’ve done a lot of winning. … If you stay in the right mind frame, when you stay together, when you’re connected as a unit and just have fun throughout the whole process, you get the best out of things.”
Bam Adebayo responds to people calling his 83-point night unethical
In case you missed it at Golden State of Mind:
Warriors Reacts: Should the Warriors re-sign Kristaps Porziņģis?
But staying on the court has been an issue. He’s appeared in just three games in his month-plus with the team, and has now had an issue suiting up every year for the last decade. The talent is tantalizing, and there’s no doubt that he’s an excellent fit with the team. But is he worth committing to beyond this year, especially if his All-Star talent drives up his price? Let us know how you feel!
A post to end the week:
Follow @unstoppablebaby on X for all the latest news on the Golden State Warriors.
